This Has All Happened Before
by mandaree1
Summary: The night Cassidy Williams left Crystal Cove, the night Angel Dynamite left Fred Jones Jr. on the mayor's doorstep, the night Angel Dynamite tried to stop Brad and Judy from losing themselves completely to the darkness, and the night that Cassidy Williams, reemerging after years of silence, confronted Jones Sr. after his arrest.


**Disclaimer: I don't own Scooby Doo Mystery Incorporated or any other forms of Scooby Doo.**

**Title: This Has All Happened Before**

**Summary: The night Cassidy Williams left Crystal Cove, the night Angel Dynamite left Fred Jones Jr. on the mayor's doorstep, the night Angel Dynamite tried to stop Brad and Judy from losing themselves completely to the darkness, and the night that Cassidy Williams, reemerging after years of silence, confronted Jones Sr. after his arrest.**

**Warnings: mostly fan-theory, mixed in with possible spoilers.**

**Author's Note: My other name for this is 'Four Nights', but I prefer this one, for some reason. And, yes, I do know that Angel Dynamite and Cassidy Williams are the same person. I was trying to symbolize the person she was at the time, I guess. =)**

**...**

Ricky's arm was shaking.

Her mind dully processed the first full sentence her mind had come up with in what felt like a hundred years, but she knew it had only been an hour, maybe two.

"Your arm's shaking." Verbalizing it made it sink in further.

Ricky jumped and gave her an odd look. "It is? Sorry." He tried to stop the light shaking of the arm wrapped around her shoulders.

It didn't work.

He shrugged helplessly and tried to give her a smile. It didn't quite work either. "I guess I'm just cold." He tried.

It was the middle of summer with humidity. Cassidy knew it was just an excuse, but nodded dumbly anyway. She wasn't coping any better than he was, and had no right to fault him for it.

The moon was high in the sky and Crystal Cove far away when she finally voiced the question on all of their minds. "What do we do now?"

Ricky sighed and shook his head. "I just don't know, C."

"I guess..." They turned. Brad's brow furrowed, arm tightening around Judy's side as he pulled her close. "I guess we just... live."

"Yes, but how?" Ricky let go of her shoulder to bring both of his hands into the air. Suddenly, in the middle of summer, it got cold, and she shivered. Ricky sighed and massaged his brow, voice shaking. "I just don't know..."

Another thought bubbled up in her muddled mind. She glanced around. "Where's the parrot?"

Ricky's gaze hardened. Both his voice and his fists shook. "He... H-He was working for The Freak. It's the only way he could've had documents like that, that looked so _real_..." His head dropped. "Real enough to make the police think they'd signed them themselves."

"I never would've guessed it. Pericles, of all creatures, betraying us to that... that _monster_." Brad shook his head in disgust. "Nothing we can do about it now. They'll... start looking for us soon." He stepped forward, adding. "As a group."

Cassidy's breath caught. "Brad, you aren't saying..."

"I am, C. It's in our best interest if we split up into groups and make it that way. Judy and I will go make a living as an engaged couple living together-"

"We can't get married now, can we?" Judy broke in. "It would be a lie to say we're engaged."

"We're going to have to start lying about lots of things now, Judy." Cassidy's mind reeled. Everything; her name, her face, her sense of fashion and style, were no longer hers. She could never look someone in the eye and say "Hi, I'm Cassidy Williams." ever again.

She hadn't realized how much she loved her name until she lost it.

"Cassidy is right. Besides, we don't need a document to seal our love, right?" He buried his face in her neck. "I'll get you a ring as soon as I can get the cash." He promised with a murmur.

"Sounds like a plan, Brad." She answered.

"But what about us?" Ricky stepped forward, breaking the moment. "What about Mystery Incorporated?"

Brad turned, looked him in the eye, and declared. "Mystery Incorporated is dead, Ricky." He turned and walked away, Judy by his side.

Cassidy's jaw dropped. Ricky's mouth seconded the action.

She stared at the empty place they once stood awhile, then, with new determination, turned and walked away.

The Freak of Crystal Cove may have broken up Mystery Incorporated, but it would never break_ her_.

Ricky teetered on his feet a second before turning and jogging to catch up with her.

It was that night, Crystal Cove a distant speck in the distance, betrayed, Mystery Incorporated torn to shreds, that Angel Dynamite was born.

* * *

Judy kept her baby long enough to give him a name and wean him to soft foods before handing him over to her with the instructions to give him to the nicest and highest ranking figure in Crystal Cove she could find, to 'give him a true Crystal Cove raising' and 'banish the mystery bug that had infected the Reeves/Chiles line' forever.

Judy and Brad couldn't possibly raise a child with the lifestyle they had to live. It was the only reason why Judy had agreed to giving Fred away.

Good on them, as far as Angel was concerned. The boy couldn't have had worse biological parents. Anyone, minus a few other extreme cases amongst the oddlings of Crystal Cove, could raise him better than they would have, filled with hate as they were.

He whimpered when they stepped past the city limits. Angel had read somewhere that babies were the best sensors of bad intentions and emotions, and, if that was true, that meant Fred was working just fine, which she took as a good sign.

"Yeah, I know what you mean. I don't like this place either."

Highest political figure in Crystal Cove with even an ounce of kindness in them, eh? Well, they didn't get much higher, or much nicer, than Mayor Jones.

Angel whistled as she easily slipped past the cameras and fence surrounding the large house undetected. She sneaked a glance at the blanket-covered baby carrier hanging by its handle in the crook of her left arm. "You better be careful, or you'll end up rotten."

"Alright then, little Freddy. Welcome to your new home." She carefully shifted the carrier to her right arm to ring the doorbell. "And what a home it is." She added, mildly disgusted.

Mayor Jones opened the door, looking oddly stern in his brightly colored pajamas. "What do you want?"

Angel set the carrier in his arms. "Happy birthday."

He blinked at the carrier, then her. "A baby?"

Angel nodded. "Yeah. His parents couldn't decide whether or not his name should be Fred- they named him after you, by the way- Chiles or Fred Reeves, but we all agreed that Fred Jones sounded a lot better."

Jone's breath caught. "You mean-?" He shifted the carrier in his arms and peeked around the blanket covering. "_This_ is Judy Reeves and Brad Chile's _son_?"

"Hole in one, Mr. Mayor. They wanted him to have a 'true Crystal Cove raising', and they decided that you would do the trick."

"Well, what do they want me to do with him? I don't know how to take care of a baby!"

"They need you to make a choice, Jones." Her eyes sought his. "You either take in this child and raise him, or leave him to the wolves to die." She turned around. "All of his forged birth records and care instructions are in the back of the carrier, stuffed behind a plastic panel." Angel had been the one to put them there, actually, not his mother, but he didn't need to know that. "Goodnight, Mr. Mayor."

"Wait!" He reached a hand out to grab her shoulder, but thought better of it and let it hang in the air. "How do you know them, anyway?"

Angel turned and pulled her scarf down off her nose and mouth, showing him her entire face.

For the second time that night, Jones gasped. "Cassidy Williams..."

Angel shook her head. "You better take good care of Freddy, alright? Treat him as if he were your own." She pulled the scarf back up. "And don't worry, I'll be long gone by morning."

Angel couldn't properly take care of a child. That was the only reason why she agreed to give him to someone else instead of raising him herself, and the driving force that made it so she didn't look back as she walked away.

* * *

Angel was the first person to find out. She was also the only one who read newspapers.

The newspaper and her had a love-hate relationship. While she loved getting news and knowing what was going on around the world, the news was what told her that her mother, and later her father, were dead. The news was what told her that Professor Pericles was in prison. It also reminded her that her ex-friends were big, successful business owners while she was just some nobody living in the middle of nowhere.

For what felt like the millionth time in her life, the dial switched to hate as she crumpled the paper in one hand and skittered to her feet to call the others for a meeting.

Angel hadn't spoken to any of them in years, but this was a conversation that needed to be had.

"Honestly, Cassidy, what could be so important that you had to tear me away from my work-" She shoved the article into his face. Angel didn't care about his work, hated what he did, even, and they all knew it. Why bother being polite when they all knew it was fake?

Mr. E grunted and read the article, hands steadily clenching harder and harder around the edges of the paper the further down he read. "No..."

"Yes. I always told you there would be others, E." She leaned against the nearby wall, suddenly feeling years older than she already was. "I just didn't expect for them to come so soon."

"Who to come? Told us what?" Brad leaned over his shoulder. "Let me see already!"

"Bah. Here, take it." He shoved the paper roughly into his hands. Brad unwrinkled it and moved it so both he and Judy had equal reading space.

"Mystery solvers? In Crystal Cove?"

"It's all happened before, Brad, remember? It was bound to happen again."

Angel took a deep breath and straightened herself. "Now, the way I see it, we've got two options here. We can leave these kids to the Freak, or we can help them and show them how to live on their own after they're forced out of the town. If they aren't killed, that is."

"You're not going to try to stop them?"

"Would we have stopped, E?" His mouth clamped shut. He shook his head. "Exactly. Their fate is sealed. Now all we can do is help them cope, or-" She risked a glance at Brad and Judy "We can leave them to struggle, like we did."

"Adversity makes one stronger, C."

Angel's eyes snapped to his. "My name is Angel Dynamite. Cassidy Williams is long dead. And I'm not saying we should pad the way, I'm saying we should help them _prepare_ for-"

"There's a third option to all of this." Brad said finally. They turned to stare at him.

"No there isn't." Angel crossed her arms.

"I see it too, Brad." Judy cut in.

"I just said-"

"You're not the only person here with a brain, Angel." Brad snapped. Angel deflated slightly, feeling the barb sink in. "These kids, if they're anything like us..."

"They'll be so easy to manipulate..." Judy's smile grew.

"And, with the right incentive, they'll do anything we want!" Brad finished triumphantly, letting go of the paper to clap his hands together. It fluttered uselessly to the floor.

Angel's jaw dropped. "Tell me you aren't saying what I think you're saying."

"What? They'll be after the treasure too! With the right prodding, they'll do the things we can't! Solve the mysteries for us, even. If we play our cards right, we won't even have to lift a finger."

"That plan sounds wonderful, Brad."

Angel glanced between them in shock. "What is wrong with you two? They're just kids!"

"So were we, Angel." Judy reminded her.

Angel shook her head, bending down to scoop the paper off the floor and shove the picture into their faces. "Take a closer look, _then_ tell me you're willing to do this."

"I don't see what you're getting at." Brad raised a silver eyebrow.

"Ugh. The _blond_." She thrust a finger at the list of names under the picture.

Their eyes widened. Angel stepped back triumphantly, a hand on her hip. "Now you're getting it."

"Give me that." Judy snatched the paper from her hand. "Oh, god, Brad, she's right. It says so right here. 'Fred Jones- Mystery Solver and Trap Enthusiast.'"

"That apple fell pretty darn close to the tree." Mr. E commented, eyebrow raised.

"I thought so. If you do this, you'll betray more than just some random group of kids. You'll be betraying your only son." She took the paper back and stared at the picture, eyes drawn to the bespectacled girl standing next to a lanky boy. "Not to mention betraying what's left of our little group. These kids... betraying them would be the same as betraying each other. Hasn't the treasure ruined us enough? Do we really need to ruin others?"

"So what? We didn't raise him." Brad looked eerily calm, setting Angel's teeth on edge. "He may have our genes, but he's Mayor Jones boy now."

"What?" Flabbergasted, she turned to his companion. "Judy, how can you submit to this madness?"

Judy looked indecisive. Then, after a few minutes, she looked her in the eye, eyes as cold as ice. "Fine then. If it means so much to you, we'll let you 'prepare' them while we wait for the right moment to return."

"Why, that sounds like an excellent idea, Judy."

Angel knew then what her decision was, and would always be. Money and power over blood. And here she thought she'd be less superficial then her beau.

"Thank you, Brad." She turned to look at her once again. "Just remember this, Angel Dynamite." She poked her chest with a pointed nail. "Your days are numbered. When the time comes, we'll make our big comeback to Crystal Cove. And then, no amount of 'preparing' will be able to protect them for what they'll face."

The door snapped shut. She turned to Mr. E, who was calmly rereading the paper. "They've gone nuts."

"Actually, I think they've got the right idea." Mr. E sighed, closed and folded the paper, then set it on the table. "These children may be of use to me in my endeavors to get revenge on Pericles. Not to mention the treasure." He turned to look her in the eye, looking almost fragile in the florescent lighting. "Our families are long dead, Cassidy. We have every right to return to Crystal Cove now."

"I can't send children into danger." She shook her head, eyes closing. Her body trembled slightly, much like his arm had on that night so long ago, as she wrapped her arms around herself in an attempt to retain what little was left of her composure. "And I'm not sure I can go back as Cassidy Williams. _Be_ her again."

"Then don't be." He shrugged. "There's nothing stopping you from going back as Angel Dynamite, just like there's nothing stopping me from returning as Mr. E." He stepped forward. "I must say, I'm not on board with your preparation plan either, but I won't try to stop you until it starts. But, when it_ does_ start, I'll fight you every step of the way, just like you'll fight me."

"What happened to Ricky Owens, the boy who wanted answers, but never revenge?" Angel asked when he reached the door.

"The same thing that happened to Cassidy Williams, the girl he fell in love with who never ran without good reason to, I suppose." He shrugged and opened the door. "He died with Mystery Incorporated."

Angel winced when the door lightly snapped shut.

Alone again. After all this time, one would think she would be used to it.

* * *

"The Freak, huh?"

Ex-Mayor Fred Jones Sr. jumped and twisted around in his cell. His breath caught, but otherwise he attempted to keep a straight face. "Cassidy Williams." He observed.

"What's left of her, at least." Cassidy nodded. "I've got a bone to pick with you, Jones."

"Doesn't everyone?" He waved a hand. "Look, I'm not interested in your little sob story about being forced out of Crystal Cove. Get over it."

"You think I'm here because of that?" She chuckled dryly. "If anything, I should thank you for making us leave." She shrugged. "It's the only reason why I'm not completely corrupt. I'm more interested in the fact you got caught." She stepped across the hall to stand in front of his cell. "That, Mr. Jones, is where you went wrong."

"You think I was trying to get caught?" He stood, fists clenched.

"Of course not." She shook her head, grinning slightly even though nothing was funny. "But you could have laid low awhile and let them take your piece of the disk. One of the members of Mystery Incorporated lives in your own house, for pete's sake. It was only a matter of time before he hid it in his room and you could take it back."

Jones sighed and flopped onto the side of the bed. "What do you want, Williams?" He sounded oddly defeated.

"Like I said; I've got a bone to pick." Cassidy sighed and brought a hand to her head. "Do you know what you've done, Jones?"

"Blackmailed a group of kids, lost my only son, and ruined my political career?"

"I think we all know about that. This... you think this is the end, Jones? This is only the beginning." Cassidy began to pace. "Judy and Brad... this is the sign they've been waiting for. Your days are numbered, my days are numbered, and your son-" She broke off, then restarted. "Your son and his friend's days are numbered too."

"What are you saying?"

"I'm saying that this has all happened before, Jones. The entity under Crystal Cove has infected us all, made us all a little bloodthirsty. The mystery is so close to being solved, closer than I can even imagine. And your_ son_ will be in the middle of things; fighting for his life along with his friends, even if he doesn't know it yet."

"Because of you, Mystery Incorporated can come and go freely and solve the mysteries you prevented us from touching. Likewise, my ex-associates no longer have any reigns holding them from coming home. Because of you, people are going to _die_. Things are coming to a head, and no one can do anything to stop it now."

Cassidy paused and sighed, leaning her back against the bars. "You want to know something, Jones?"

His voice was wary. "What?"

"I used to think that the only monsters out there were the ones with fangs and claws. Now, I've realized that you don't need a mask to be a monster. My entire team, myself included, have become what we used to catch." She trailed down the hall, calling behind her to the strangely silent ex-mayor. "Good luck on your sentencing, Mr. Jones." Her voice darkened with carnal knowledge that sent shivers down his spine. "The moment you leave that cell and enter the free world is the moment the monsters snatch you up and devour you whole."

**Author's Note: My first attempt at Cassidy, so her character might be a little off. I hope not. =)**

**No flames! Don't like don't read! Review!**


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